Brushes in The Void
by YoshiFurbyPhoenixGirl257
Summary: A void separates them. Two beings, two different worlds, never meant to be together. And yet in that dark, they touch one another before passing on. They might have linked and understood, but now eternal misunderstanding and separation.
1. Chapter 1

Swirling in the dark, inky dye,

Two beings dance,

Like galaxies in sky,

Falling in and out of a trance,

A touch, a reach across the void,

Never to happen again, future devoid

It was never supposed to happen.

The day wasn't supposed to come, not ever!

And even should it come to pass, I never thought it would happen like this.

"S-Sa-ai..." The words dropped like heavy mercury from the blond boy's mouth, which happened to be spitting up blood.

A tanto had imbedded itself deep in the boy's side, and he began to crumple to the ground.

I rushed forward, running to my teammate, already abandoned by its killer.

_SAI!!!_

Death isn't what I thought it was, and I realized it on that day, because when I reached him, he was dead.

No last words.

No last breaths.

No last touch.

Nothing.

Just empty eyes staring sightlessly. So what if I am a med-nin, the sight made me nautious.

Naruto.

The happy, idiotic boy I thought was the bane of my life, was dead. In spite of his will to live, in spite of my medical jutsu abilities, in spite of the power of the Kyuubi – he was dead. Sai's betrayal had sliced through it all like a hot knife through butter.

Hot, enraged tears rolled down my cheeks.

_HOW?!_

How could anyone murder their teammate in cold blood, kill their friend without a trace of sorrow?!

_Sai! You monster!_

Something closed around my body, and my furious fist raised to meet it.

I am showered in ink.

"Now you're going to try and kill me too, you fiend?!" I screamed up at the apathetic root member, who was astride a great ink bird.

"Ugly. We have to escape, or we'll be killed," he responded, not seeming the least bit phased by what he had just done.

Escape?

Oh. Right.

Bile rose in my throat as I saw Sai's reasoning. Across from us stood to Akatsuki members, Kisame and Zetsu, the former advancing at a slow but steady pace, a grin plastered on his face at the prospect of killing, while Zetsu looked more troubled at the sudden demise of their target.

_How could he?!!!_

How could he have killed Naruto to make us escape. Sai! I knew he was a lot of things, but I never would have guessed a coward.

My hatred for that boy soared, and my fist clenched.

And then I was suddenly wrenched from the ground.

"Wha -?"

I struggled, but it was no use. Sai had become accustomed to my strength, and poured enough chakra into his ink in order to match it.

"SAI!!! LET... ME... GO!"

I'd rather die than be saved by the likes of him.

He ignored me, just as I knew he would. I thrashed and I tried to punch, but it was all futile.

I seethed in the iron grip. As soon as we got to where ever it is that we were going, there was going to be hell to pay.

I could understand Sasuke' see the reasoning, at least. I could even _almost_ forgive him. But Naruto? Just what sort of demonic traitor would do that?

_I hate you. I'll **never** forgive. **Ever.**_

My tears fell, splattering the ground with wet dots to far away for me to see.

And then I saw it.

In the other claw of the bird, hung the boy, the one I should have trusted all along. Naruto.


	2. Chapter 2

"Mission success," the fiendly artist declared to Master Tsunade, tears dribbling down her cheek.

This wasn't good. I didn't know whether or not Tsunade would be able to handle this. I remember, remember what that Hokage told me. That it had been _his_ courage and _his_ will that had inspired her to be where she was now. I may not be a Hyuuga, but even still, I could see the pandemonium building up behind the trembling blonde's eyes.

A scroll smacked onto her desk, and Sai turned and left the room.

"Ts... Tsunade-sama..." I murmur, manuevering behind her desk and resting a comforting hand on the sannin's quivering shoulder.

- – - – - - - - -

Months pass, and no one pretends anymore. Team Seven no longer exists, and everyone knows it. It died alongside Naruto, that day long ago.

Even now I see him, as I run errands for Master Tsunade – he walks down the street, smiling, _smiling_, that fake, empty face unchanged from the day I met him. He'll pass me, and he'll _still _be smiling. As if nothing had ever happened. As if he had never killed the one person left in the world I could rely on.

That sickening curving of the mouth ignited the fiercest hatred in the corner of my heart, and wrath washes over my being.

My arms tremble with barely contained fury, my eyes glower at him, unbridled contempt raging behind them. And he smiles, as if he doesn't notice, and walks on.

And a tear slides down my cheek.

Tsunade is on the brink, I'm not actually quite sure she still manages to run the village, where she finds that strength to preservere. Shizune is curious as well, though she has a possible explanation.

"If Tsunade falters, someone else will take her place," Shizune had replied when I asked her, "And it is more than likely that the someone will be Sai's superior, and that thought is unbearable to Tsunade-sama."

I wearily walk homen after taking care of an emergency patient. I clamp a hand over my forehead and wonder what time it is. At least four am.

A sound, and I glance up. _Sai _is there, blank, emotionless eyes stare at me. He's returned from a mission; a 'successful' one, no doubt.

"Sai..." I hiss, dark thoughts circling through my head.

"Hello, Ugly," he smiles.

He stands there, for the first time not just brushing past me to report to his superior.

"Stop it!" I half-whisper, half-scream.

The artist pauses for a moment and cocks his head, confused. And then he smiles. "Stop what, ugly?"

_Stop what?! Stop what?!_

"Stop pretending that nothing had ever happened! Stop it, damn it, stop smiling like there's not a care in the world!"

His smile faded; a frown replaced it. "But I read that a smile is best for difficult situations..." he murmured, confused, and brought a smile to the surface once more.

My eyes close. I can't take it anymore, that smile, that cursed, hated smile that should never have existed. In my mind I saw Naruto's genuine, heartfelt, shining grin, a sight I'd never lay eyes on again. My teeth grind against one another. It's too much, the image of my smiling teammate – my _real_ teammate, one who would never hurt me or betray me, shining in my mind, such a contrast with Sai and his murderous, imitated, meaningless smile.

My anger boiled over to an all time peak. I can't do it. I can't restrain this any longer, and I wipe that infuriating smile off Sai's face. He flies backwards, and much to my disappointment his neck still connected his head to his body.

He looks up at me, and grabs his tanto. I charge at him, fist back and ready to finish him. I miss, however, he appears behind me, tanto slicing towards my back, and I twist out of the way, barely in time. Panting, my fist hurls towards his face again, and again he evades me. At least that hated smile is gone, and he is all business now.

An ink lion charges towards me, but I grab it by the claw and fling it back at the artist.

The fight drags on through the early morning, and I am just about at the last of my chakra. His tanto comes for my head, and I duck, simultaneously plunging a fist into his stomach. He coughs blood which stain my pink hair red. He flies back, and I smile.

I approach him, as he scrambles to get to his feet, and, reaching him, I grab him by the scruff and raise him against the wall.

"You monster," I fiercely whisper, shaking the boy, "This is for Naruto."

My fist plunges into his head, blood spraying over me.

Shivers run up my spine. I'd killed him, whom I had fought and ate alongside. And not only that, but, just at the instant of connection, I know what I saw even if I wish I didn't. In the early morning light, a smile.


End file.
